Dell Alienware X51 Owners Manual

							www.dell.com | support.dell.com/manuals
Alienware X51
Owner’s Manual
Regulatory model: D05S
Regulatory type: D05S001
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							Notes, Cautions, and Warnings
 NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better 
use of your product.
 
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or 
loss of data, and tells you how to avoid the problem.
 
WARNING:  A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, 
personal injury, or death.
____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2012 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of these materials in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. 
is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell™ and the DELL logo are trademarks of Dell Inc.
Alienware
® is a registered trademark of Alienware Corporation.
Microsoft®, Windows®, and the Windows start button logo are either trademarks or registered 
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming 
the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and 
trade names other than its own.
2012 - 01 Rev. A00
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							Contents3
Contents
1 About Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  5
Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  5
Back View
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
Specifications
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
2 Before You Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  7
Turn Off Your Computer and
Connected Devices
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  7
Safety Instructions
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  7
3 Working Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . .  9
4 System Setup
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   11
Entering System Setup
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   11
System Setup Screens
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   12
System Setup Options 
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   12
Boot Sequence
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   16
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							4Contents
5 Flashing the BIOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   19
6 Contacting Alienware
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   21
Websites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   21
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							About Your Computer5
1
About Your Computer
Front View
 NOTE: Your Alienware X51 computer supports dual orientation. You can place your 
computer vertically or horizontally. The rotatable AlienHead allows you to change 
the direction of the AlienHead depending on the orientation of your computer. 1 power button 2 optical-drive eject button
3 optical drive 4 rotatable AlienHead
5 microphone connector 6 headphone connector
7 USB 2.0 connectors (2)
1
2
3
45 6 7
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							6About Your Computer
Back View
Specifications
For more information on specifications of your computer, 
seesupport.dell.com/manuals.
1 optical S/PDIF connector 2 HDMI connector
3 USB 2.0 connectors (4) 4 USB 3.0 connectors (2)
5 audio connectors (6) 6 hard-drive activity light
7 AC-adapter connector 8 discrete graphics card
9 security-cable slot 10 network connector and 
network lights
11 coaxial S/PDIF connector
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
11
10
9
8
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							Before You Begin7
2
Before You Begin
Turn Off Your Computer and Connected Devices
 CAUTION: To avoid losing data, save and close all open files and exit all open 
programs before you turn off your computer.
1Save and close all open files and exit all open programs.
2Click Start   and click Shut Down.
Microsoft Windows shuts down and then the computer turns off.
 NOTE: If you are using a different operating system, see the documentation 
of your operating system for shut-down instructions.
3Disconnect your computer and all attached devices from their 
electrical outlets.
4Disconnect all telephone cables, network cables, and attached devices 
from your computer.
5Press and hold the power button, while the computer is unplugged, 
to ground the system board.
Safety Instructions
Use the following safety guidelines to protect your computer from potential 
damage and ensure your personal safety.
 WARNING: Before you begin, read the safety information that shipped with your 
computer. For additional safety best practices information, see the Regulatory 
Compliance Homepage at dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
 
CAUTION: To avoid damaging the computer, ensure that the work surface is flat 
and clean.
CAUTION: Only a certified service technician is authorized to remove the 
computer cover and access any of the components inside the computer. See the 
safety instructions for complete information about safety precautions and 
protecting against electrostatic discharge.
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							8Before You Begin
 CAUTION: When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its pull-tab, 
not on the cable itself. Some cables have connectors with locking tabs or 
thumb-screws that you must disengage before disonnecting the cable. When 
disconnecting cables, keep them evenly aligned to avoid bending any connector 
pins. When connecting cables, ensure that the connectors and ports are correctly 
oriented and aligned.
 
CAUTION: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your 
computer and then unplug the cable from the network device.
 
NOTE: Ensure that you remove the security cable from the security-cable slot, 
if applicable.
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							Working Inside Your Computer9
3
Working Inside Your Computer
CAUTION: Only a certified service technician is authorized to remove the 
computer cover and access any of the components inside the computer. See the 
safety instructions for complete information about safety precautions and 
protecting against electrostatic discharge.
For information on removing and replacing the internal component of 
your computer, contact Alienware. See Contacting Alienware on page 21.
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							10Working Inside Your Computer
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